Some expert advice on wooden flooring by Matt Torr

After years inside wood flooring business we realize all the details so we thought we'd share them you! If you are thinking about buying or fitting a wooden floor then look no further.....read our article first and you'll get a leg up...a jargon free...fact rich gem of the article that can ensure you set off within the the right direction. Thanks for looking!!!!



Trust us....we've done it.... 100 times or maybe more!



We've been inside the wood flooring business for decades, selling and fitting...so there eally aren't many problems which we've not come across before. We supply and fit solid wooden flooring, engineered wooden flooring and laminate flooring....and every once in awhile correct, repair or relay the floors which other folks have installed...and we've seen some shockers! Sometimes a poor finish is simply the result of someone going an undesirable job...which we really can't a single thing about though the single, most important thing is to buy wood flooring which is appropriate for a environment.



So lets start with some questions you may want to think about



What type of environment do yo have?? Do you've got high fluctuations in humidity??



What attitude in the event you how your floor looks..how will you feel about scratches??



Do you would like it to check perfect each of the time or are you happy with a much more 'lived in' feel'



Do you've pets or kids (personally I see them as virtually the same with regard to flooring wear...and diet regime!!)??



Do you have an underfloor home heating??



Lets take a look at solid wooden flooring



Doesn't require an explanation...its a great lump of wood...coming from a tree! Solid hardwood flooring looks and feel happy but it's not for all.



It's a natural product and therefore has a few characteristics which need mentioning. All timber once felled continue to respond to it's environment with respect to moisture levels. Higher humidity = expansion, lower humidity = contraction so if you've got an environment in which the humidity fluctuates significantly you ought to think seriously before installing solid hardwood flooring. Older properties with less efficient damp proofing, kitchens Peabody and bathrooms can all potentially create problems as can newly built houses with residual moisture in concrete floors. If you are in any doubt we might recommentd finding a local flooring specialist to accomplish a quick moisture test. Underfloor heating may also pose significant problems to solid wood flooring and as a broad rule of thumb, we may discourage our customers from installing soild wood over underfloor heating.



So...lets get on to wear and tear. Solid wood will mark. Period. If you're acquiring stressed about dings and scratches forget it. Unless you need to put socks on your dogs and make your house guests wear slippers! It's an all-natural product and can produce a 'patina' over time. Personally I love rustic grade soild wood...because it is starts out less than perfect and carries a great, warm, lived in feel into it and you won't get stressed when the dog skids in chasing the cat or your child drops a metallic toy...life's to short to acquire stressed!!



What about Parquet Flooring?



This appears like a good point to speak about parquet flooring. Parquet...or block flooring is mostly installed by sticking oak blocks in the regular pattern...typically herringbone to some soild floor. The installation of block flooring should only be attempted by full competent people who have access to specialist tools. We do not recommend the DIY approach!



Lets check out engineered wooden flooring



Engineered...what'..Don't worry, nobody has ever encountered engineered wooden flooring. So here goes...prepare to get enlightened. It's basically a layer of 'real wood' bonded to a softwood base....that's it...easy wasn't it? Why? well is going on dimensional stability...we're no longer dealing with a fully natural product here therefore the manufacturers build in greater stability. The bottom line is it's going to look and feel like wood but you will use it over underfloor heating as well as in areas which aren't suitable for wooden installations. It comes in a very traditional tongue and groove..(think nailed down floorboards) and floating or click system..akin to laminate kitchen floors. So it really is incredibly versatile...it uses much less of the raw natural resource..which is no bad thing this means you will be as effortless to lay being a click system laminate. We recommend using engineered flooring to everyone of our customers.



So it's perfect, right?? Well remember the top layer remains to be real wood so that you will need to keep in mind the wear and tear points raised within the soild wood section.



Lets take a look at laminate flooring



OK that is easy..most people know about laminates. They are manufactured by bonding a graphic...basically a photograph onto a softwood base. An ultra stong surface will then be appied. They come in endless sytles and coulours and can be fitted by you aren't reasonable ability. Some laminates come with a 50 year domestic use guarantee...which present you with some idea how hard wearing they are. So if there is a busy house or you would like some from the slightly more 'out there' desings they really are an incredible choice.
Fabulous flooring supply and fit quality wood flooring products inside the UK